ARC Raiders Trading System Guide: How ARC Raiders Traders Shape Your Progression

How the ARC Raiders Trading System Works: Traders, Items & Resource Exchange

The ARC Raiders trading system is built around interacting with different Traders located in Seeker’s Shelter and other safe outposts. Each Trader specializes in a specific category of goods   such as weapons, armor, equipment, consumables, crafting materials, or mod components  and players can purchase items directly from them using the resources and crafting materials collected during raids.

Unlike a fully open barter economy, the system in ARC Raiders operates through direct exchanges with NPC Traders, not through player-to-player trading. Every item sold by a Trader has a fixed material cost, and players must gather those materials from loot containers, enemy drops, recycle stations or world spawns.

Core Trading Resources

Across raid zones, players collect multiple types of materials that act as the foundation of the game’s economy. These include:

• Mechanical Parts

• Chemical Components

• Electronic Components

• Scrap and Salvage Items

• Weapon Parts

• Medical Supplies

• Consumables

Each of these item categories appears throughout the world and is directly tied to the pricing structure of Traders’ inventories.

What Traders Actually Do

Based on the official ARC Raiders database, Traders:

1. Sell weapons & weapon variants (battle rifles, SMGs, snipers, pistols, explosives)

2. Sell armor & equipment pieces

3. Sell crafting components and upgrade materials

4. Sell consumables used for healing or utility

5. Refresh inventory based on the game’s update cycle (not dynamic economy changes)

There is no gameplay mechanic in which Traders give different prices based on rarity, demand or world conditions. Every item has a set cost, and the cost is determined by:

• Item tier

• Required materials

• Weapon / equipment category

Item Recycling and Value Conversion

A major part of progressing in ARC Raiders comes from the Recycle Station, where players can convert unwanted gear into crafting materials. This is the closest system the game has to “item value return.”

Recycling allows players to:

• Break down weapons

• Break down equipment

• Break down duplicate items

• Receive mechanical, chemical or electronic materials in return

These materials can then be used to purchase items from Traders, making recycling the main loop that feeds the in-game economy.

Trader Specialization

Each NPC Trader specializes in a distinct category:

• Celeste – sells armor and wearable equipment

• Apollo – sells consumables and medical supplies

• Shani – sells weapon mods and attachments

• Tian Wen – sells crafting materials

• Lance – offers weapons and gear upgrades

This specialization encourages players to visit different Traders depending on their build needs  for example, buying weapon attachments from Shani while visiting Apollo to restock healing gear.

Why Understanding Traders Matters

Mastering the ARC Raiders trading system allows players to:

• Progress gear tiers faster

• Optimize crafting routes

• Build effective weapon loadouts

• Maintain a steady supply of consumables

• Prepare for raids more efficiently

Because all weapons, armor and utilities depend on materials gathered during missions, knowing which Trader supplies what item gives players a massive advantage during progression.

How the ARC Raiders Trading System Works

The ARC Raiders trading system is built around fixed NPC vendors known as Traders. These Traders are scattered across the world and each one specializes in selling a specific category of items. There is no barter system, no resource-based exchange, and no player-to-player trading mechanic. Instead, Traders serve as static merchants that provide weapons, consumables, gadgets and utility items depending on their role.

Every Trader has a defined inventory category. Their stock does not rotate dynamically, their prices do not change, and they do not assign value to the player’s resources. The trading system in ARC Raiders operates as a vendor-based structure where players simply purchase equipment or items from the correct specialist Trader.

Official Trader Categories in ARC Raiders

According to the confirmed in-game data, Traders function in the following roles:

Tian Wen  : Weapons, Mods and Ammunition
Sells combat gear such as primary weapons, weapon mods and ammunition types required for raids and PvE encounters.

Celeste : Components and Basic Crafting Materials
Provides general-purpose crafting items and components used for upgrading gear or progressing through equipment tiers.

Apollo : Grenades, Explosives and Tactical Gadgets
Specializes in offensive utility such as grenades, traps, disruptor tools and high-impact gadgets designed for crowd control or disabling ARC units.

Shani : Keys and Special Utility Items
Acts as the supplier of Pathfinder Keys, access items and mission-related tools needed for opening secured areas or progressing through locked routes.

Lance :  Armor, Medkits and Recovery Equipment
Focuses on player survivability, selling armor pieces, medical supplies and healing items essential for sustained combat and long-range expeditions.

These categories are fixed and do not change. Each Trader consistently sells items within their specialization.

How Players Interact With Traders

 

Interacting with Traders in ARC Raiders is straightforward:

Visit the specific Trader’s location.

Browse the inventory category they specialize in.

Purchase the items you need using the appropriate in-game currency or mission rewards.

Use purchased items to upgrade loadouts, improve survivability or prepare for raid encounters.

There is no evidence of any system where Traders adjust item value, change exchange rates or react to player progression through a dynamic pricing model. Their purpose is strictly to provide structured access to essential gear types.

Why Traders Matter for Progression in ARC Raiders

Even without a barter mechanic, Traders play an important role in player progression. Because each Trader controls a unique item category, knowing where to acquire specific gear ensures efficient preparation for raids and encounters with ARC enemies.
Whether you need weapons, armor, healing gear, explosives or mission-specific tools, each Trader acts as a reliable and predictable source of the resources required to strengthen your build.

This clear separation of merchant roles ensures that players can consistently gather the right items, plan their loadouts effectively, and build towards higher-tier equipment with confidence.

How Trading Works with Speranza Traders in ARC Raiders 

In ARC Raiders, the economy and vendor system revolve around a set of NPC vendors (the “Traders”) based in the safe-zone hub Speranza.

 Traders, Goods & Vendor Offers

• There are five main Traders in Speranza: Celeste, Tian Wen, Apollo, Shani and Lance, each specializing in different categories of goods — from materials and crafting resources to weapons, ammo, gadgets, and medical/defensive gear.

• After raids (expeditions), players return to Speranza and can visit these vendors to purchase items or sell unwanted loot. The official “sell & recycle” mechanic allows players to convert unwanted items or salvage into crafting components or in-game currency.

• The in-game economy is designed around a progression model: loot, salvage, and vendor purchases — not a player-to-player marketplace or open trading network. The “economy” thus refers to resource balance, loot value, salvage, and vendor transactions.

Quests & Vendor Interaction

• Traders also act as quest-givers. Many missions in ARC Raiders begin and end at Traders in Speranza. This confirms the role of Traders not only as merchants, but also as mission hubs.

• Through quests and expedition rewards, players can earn gear, crafting resources, or in-game currency (credits), which they then use at Traders to purchase items or upgrades.

 What This System Is ?

• The trading system in ARC Raiders is vendor-based (Traders in Speranza), not a player-driven marketplace. There is no official support for direct player-to-player trading or a global auction house inside the game.

• Loot, scrap, or salvage can be recycled or sold to Traders/merchants for credits; players can then purchase desired items — this is the core economic loop.

• The concept of a “barter economy,” where you swap scrap or components directly for weapons or high-tier items via Traders, is not documented in official sources. There’s no credible evidence of a dynamic “supply & demand barter exchange” system.

Conclusion

Safe to include:

• There are 5 main Traders in Speranza, each specializing in a distinct category of goods (materials, weapons, medical gear, gadgets, etc.).

• Players can sell or recycle loot and salvage after raids, then use the resulting currency or crafting materials to buy items from Traders.

• Traders also function as the starting and ending point for quests.

• The in-game economy is built around loot → salvage/sell → vendor purchases model, not player-to-player trade.

Important to avoid / disclaim:

• Do not claim that ARC Raiders has an in-game barter system exchanging scrap/components directly for weapons or rare mods   that is unverified.

• Do not present a dynamic supply-and-demand vendor economy (with fluctuating prices, supply cycles, barter values) as fact   there’s no official source supporting it.

• Do not suggest there is a marketplace, auction house or direct player-to-player trading interface   the game currently lacks these features.